1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a body cover system for a small vehicle, and to a small vehicle equipped with a body cover covering part of a vehicle body including an exhaust system.
2. Background Art
Some examples of small vehicles respectively equipped with a body cover for shielding an exhaust system are known (see, e.g. JP Patent No. 3727641 (FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4)).
As shown in Fig. 1 of JP Patent No. 3727641, underneath an engine (40) (parenthesized numerals are reference signs used in JP Patent No. 3727641; the names of some elements are altered herein; the same applies hereinafter), an exhaust system (70) is arranged, and outward from this exhaust system (70) in the direction of the vehicle width, a lower cowl (121) is arranged. The lower cowl (121) (hereinafter referred to as the heat shield (121)) covers the exhaust system (70).
As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 of Japanese Patent JP Patent No. 3727641, the upper parts of heat shields (121) whose mounting parts are fastened with set screws (124 and 124) to a body frame (20) extend to the inside of the vehicle until they reach the body frame (20). As the heat shields (121) extend to the inside of the vehicle, the degree of freedom in shape of the heat shields (121) is restricted.
On the other hand, the degree of freedom in shape of a mid-cowl (111) that covers the body above the heat shields (121) is secured because it does not have to cover the exhaust system. However, the heat shields (121) and the mid-cowl (111) do not cooperate to define an exterior surface in this reference. In order to configure an exterior surface between the heat shields (121) and the mid-cowl, the mid-cowl (111) requires shape alignment with the heat shields (121) in a boundary, and this entails restriction on the degree of freedom in shape.
Therefore, a technology is needed by which a high-quality vehicle appearance is ensured, while maintaining freedom in the shape of both the body cover and the heat shields.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved technology for small vehicles provided with heat shields to cover the exhaust system, by which a high-quality vehicle appearance is ensured, while maintaining a high degree of freedom in the shape of both the body cover and the heat shields.